A Simple Guide to Garden Planning
by silver medal winning garden designer Mary Newstead
Images: Mary Newstead 2004
Let’s get personal
Instead of listing a mind-boggling inventory of suggested plants, I have included pictures of some of the plant combinations I use in my own and my clients’ gardens. By looking at my examples in tandem with the useful plants for a purpose references mentioned above, I hope you find inspiration to create your own personal oasis. In the final event though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what I like may not be your choice, so only you can decide which plants to include in your newly designed garden.
I like my borders full to bursting and if there isn’t enough spare ground to plant my favourites, I grow them in containers and, when a gap appears in the border I simply lower pots in among the permanent planting to fill the space, removing them when they are past their peak and replacing them with others waiting in the wings.
Here, in a semi-shady site, is a mixture of permanent plants, some in containers. Vibrant red stems of Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ (top left) alongside the glossy, arrow-shaped, marbled foliage of Arum italicum, which has a long period of interest - its leaves lasting from winter right through to summer, when it dies down to be replaced with spikes of orange-red berries, which last until the new leaves appear the following winter. Just beginning its decent up an old conifer stump at the back of the border is a golden hop (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’) with a shuttlecock fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) in the throws of unfurling its fronds. In front of the fern is the lovely palmate foliage of Geranium phaeum, which has tiny wine-red flowers in spring. In contrast, the small shiny evergreen leaves of the wild ginger - Asarum europaeum. This one loves the shade and makes excellent ground cover. In front is another evergreen ground cover plant - Tellima grandiflora, which has lovely maple-shaped foliage and sprays of pink and cream bells fringed green that stand high above the foliage. At the back is Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum x hybridum), which has gorgeous arching foliage with tear-drop cream flowers along the length of each leaf stalk, hanging down like pearl earrings. Here too is Dicentra spectabilis (far right) with its rosy-red, heart-shaped flowers that hang gracefully above fresh-looking ferny foliage, and somewhere in among the group is the strappy foliage of the evergreen, shade-loving iris - Iris foetidissima. A little further along this border, and out of frame, is a mass planting of Japanese anemones with hellebores and more ferns.
In this sunny border is a mixture of shrubs, grasses and perennials. Taking centre stage is Euphorbia mellifera - arguably the finest member of the Euphorbia family - commonly called the honey spurge because it has honey-coloured and honey-scented flowers in spring. It has luminous, bright emerald green leaves similar to oleander and being evergreen, it is particularly pleasing on a dreary winter’s day. The bluish, pinkie-red succulent leaves of Sedum telephium ‘Matrona’ (bottom right) are also in evidence - see how its dark red stems pick up on the pink daisy flowers of Echinacea purpurea and the poker flowers of Persicaria bistorta. Iris germanica nestles at the front left of the border and behind can just be seen the large, rough foliage of Rodgersia pinnata, its leaves similar to the horse chestnut. Behind is a tall grass - Miscanthus x giganteus - great as a stand-alone specimen plant or at the back of the border.
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Here is a close-up of a mix of foliage types - Euphorbia mellifera (left), Geranium maderense (tender)(back), Inula magnifica (centre) and the blue-grey foliage of hardy annual Cerinthe major (bottom right). |
| Here is my favourite evergreen grass - Stipa arundinacea - growing with Persicaria bistorta - a great combination that never fails to please and looks good virtually all year. |  |
This picture illustrates very well the strong visual effect that foliage can give. The mix contains the golden hop (top left), purple, heart-shaped foliage of Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ (left), Bergenia cordifolia ‘Purpurea’ (bottom) , Hosta ‘Sum & Substance’ (centre), Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’ (top), Ligularia dentata ‘Desdemona’ (right middle), Fatsia japonica (right of Acer), Thalictrum aquilegiifolium (slightly right of Acer) and, just visible, the canes of a bamboo to create a strong vertical.
Over to you
I hope you have enjoyed this series and that it has given you inspiration to go it alone and create your own personal oasis that looks just as good at Christmas as it does in July.